Overview
- Belift Lab filed a civil suit on Dec. 15 in the Seoul Western District Court seeking 100 million won in damages from the Team Bunnies operator and the operator’s parents.
- The complaint claims the fan-run account repeatedly posted false assertions that ILLIT copied NewJeans and disclosed a confidential internal planning document.
- Legal context includes a recent court finding in a separate case that it is difficult to acknowledge ILLIT replicated NewJeans’ concept, undermining the plagiarism claim.
- Team Bunnies rose during the NewJeans–ADOR dispute, raised over 50 million won in hours in 2024, and later drew scrutiny after authorities revealed the operator was a minor linked to donation-law violations.
- In a statement, Team Bunnies disputed the procedural status of the case, accused HYBE of pressuring the fandom, and urged a clear update on NewJeans’ five-member lineup while continuing public protests.